Child's Play
by psychokitty3
Summary: Taken over from another author. After killing a fellow witch, Piper is consumed by guilt. But, six months after the sodubbed 'incident', the sisters find that the event was not what it appeared to be.
1. Prologue

AN: Sorry for taking so long to post this, but I've had a lot going on in my life, and I'm just now getting back to posting. This is NOT MY STORY! You MUST note that. The author asked me to take it over, and I'm not sure if he/she has posted any more of it, but he/she asked me to do this, and now I finally am. Remember, NOT MY STORY! Stick that in your minds. Okay, it's really good, though, I read the whole thing, 'cause it was finished. It's awesome! I'll try to post the chapters quickly, but I never know… Here's the story, and sorry for the wait!

T:T:T:T

Piper played with the strings on the hood of her jacket, trying not to shiver in the cool afternoon drizzle. Slowly she pulled her hands up inside her sleeves. Her nearly frozen fingers clenched into fists as she glanced up at her grandmother. They stood under an oversized black umbrella, her family huddled together amongst the large crowd.   
"Now?" Piper whispered.

"Not yet," her grandmother said quietly. Piper nodded and felt her older sister's hand fall lightly on her shoulder. Piper glanced over at Prue and saw that her eyes were glistening in the few rays of sunshine that had made their way down. But then Prue blinked and turned to watch the priest. Piper decided that she had better do the same. But he'd been talking so much. She couldn't remember what he had said. And now that she tried to listen again she was lost. Everyone else was nodding, crying, or staring at the ground. The whole thing seemed boring to Piper.

"Grams, I wanna go home." She reached up and tugged on her grandmother's jacket. Grams was usually so talkative, always playing with them. But she'd been silent for so long that day. And now she held up one finger to her lips, trying to quiet Piper. After a moment she shifted Piper's younger sister, Phoebe, from one arm to the other. Little Phoebe was sound asleep, her head resting on Grams' shoulder.

Piper bit her lip and looked back at the priest again. But finally her eyes were drawn to the long shiny box that sat right in front of her. Piper couldn't see over it, even as she balanced on her tiptoes. On the other side was a bunch of people all in black. Each had already tried to hug and kiss her, even as she'd wriggled out of their grasp. She knew that as soon as the priest stopped talking, they would try again. But she could run and hide. There were statues and big marble stones everywhere. She could crouch behind one of those and they'd never find her.

"When's Mommy coming?" Piper asked, turning back to her sister. She realized how loud her voice sounded compared to the priest's. But it hardly seemed to matter. Everyone was looking away, as if she had scared them. Piper frowned. She'd been waiting all day to see her mommy, to be held by her, to hear the story her mom had promised to read. "Prue? I want Mommy. You said she'd be here."

"I didn't say that," Prue insisted, shaking her head. Piper regarded her sister as Prue fought away tears. She twisted around, staring up at her grandmother and Piper could hear the desperation in her voice. She seemed terrified that their grandmother might not believe her. "I didn't tell her that Grams, I didn't."

Piper eyed her sister suspiciously. Something felt wrong. Prue didn't cry, not when Phoebe broke her toys, not when she got yelled at, not even when she fell down. Her mother had always said Prue was brave, which to Piper meant that her sister never, ever cried. But she was very close to crying now.

Piper's heartbeat quickened as her frustration increased. Her grandmother kept silent, refusing to tell her what she so desperately wanted to know. Piper whirled around, expecting to see her mother beneath one of the many umbrellas. Everyone that they knew was standing around them, but not her mom. She wasn't there.

"Grams, I want Mommy!" Piper said, her voice even louder this time. She noticed several people turning to stare at her, but she didn't care. They could look all they wanted. Still her grandmother seemed upset. Now even her eyes were watering.

"Piper, honey, please, shh," she said quickly. "I already told you-"

"I want her now!" Piper clenched her fists even tighter in her jacket sleeves. She could feel the back of her eyes stinging with tears. And then there was the anger, that terrible fury that they were not listening to her. Her grandmother, even her older sister, the person she trusted most in the world...

"Piper, stop it!" Prue said suddenly. Her voice broke as she glared angrily at her sister. Piper shrunk back, trying to hide behind her grandmother's legs. "Just be quiet!"

"Prudence!" Grams scolded the older girl, but her voice was gentle as she rested her hand on Prue's back. "That's enough."

"But you told her already," Prue said, her voice dropping as she pressed her lips together. Prue wasn't going to cry, so instead she turned and hid her face in her grandmother's jacket. Piper realized that the priest had stopped talking. Now everyone was watching them. "You told her about Mommy."

"Why's she not here?" Piper asked again as her voice fell to a whisper. Suddenly all of those eyes seemed to bother her. Everyone was staring at her and her family, and they all knew something that Piper did not. She waited as her grandmother passed Phoebe on to a friend. Then she reached down and picked Piper up, holding her close as the rain fell around them. Piper clung to her grandmother's neck and hugged her tightly. But Grams pulled away a little so that she was face to face with Piper. The little girl shivered as thunder crackled in the distance.

"Piper," she said slowly. "Your Mommy's not coming back. She died, honey."

Piper could see Prue's grip tighten on their grandmother's jacket, and Grams reached down again to pat her on the shoulder, trying to soothe the older girl. Piper shook her head, trying to wriggle away, to get back to the ground. Grams was lying to her. Her mother wouldn't leave her. She loved her. Piper had heard her say it a million times.

"No!" Piper said quickly. They didn't understand. "Mommy'll be back. She's just hiding, 'cause I got her mad."

"Piper, she wasn't mad at you." Grams looked surprised, but Piper nodded vigorously. They needed to know. Her mother would come back; she wasn't going to leave them. They just didn't understand yet.

"Uh-huh, I spilt the milk, 'member? I got her stuff all messy."

"Piper, no-" Grams started, but Piper pressed on.

"And I said Phoebe's stupid and made Mommy yell at me."

"But she wasn't mad at you," Grams said again as the little girl finally allowed her to speak. "She loved you, Piper." Her grandmother stopped and looked over at the long shiny box. Then she stared down at Prue who had finally pulled her face out of the jacket. "But she's gone now."

"She's gone?" Piper asked. Already she could feel those tears stinging at the back of her eyes again. She swallowed hard. She wasn't going to cry like the others. She was a big girl like Prue. That's what Mommy said. "How long?"

"Forever," Prue said. Piper could barely hear her. But she saw her sister looking up at her and Piper knew she wasn't lying. Prue didn't look like that when she was lying.

"But I don't want her gone," Piper said. She pulled away from her grandmother, kicking and pushing until Grams was finally forced to set her back down. Then suddenly the priest was standing there, holding out the rose that she'd been eyeing all morning. He nodded toward the big black box as he handed it to her.

"Go put that up there, Piper. Your Mommy will see it then."

"Michael, please..." Grams shook her head as Piper stared at the rose. She wasn't sure what to do, so she glanced over at Prue then turned back to her grandmother. There was anger in the woman's eyes as she glared at the priest. "Not now."

"Penny, she has to learn to accept-"

"She's not even five years old and her mother's just died," Grams said. Piper knew that Grams didn't want her to hear, but she listened to every word. "Give her some time."

"No!" Piper shook her head and threw the rose on the ground. She didn't want to leave it up on the box. She wanted to give it to her mommy herself, to hand it to her, and see her mommy smile at her. But that wasn't going to happen now.

Piper burst into tears and even as her grandmother reached for her, she took off across the wet grass. Many more hands grabbed at her, but Piper got away from them all, sobbing as she ran.

"Piper!" She heard Prue calling for her. But she didn't turn around. Instead she ran behind one of the huge marble stones and collapsed onto the dirt. She pulled her jacket tighter again then tried to wipe her eyes with her sleeves as the thunder rumbled overhead. She shivered as she buried her face in her hands. She wasn't going to see her mommy again. She wasn't coming back.

"Piper, don't cry."

Piper glanced up and saw Prue standing there, the rain starting to soak through her jacket. Her hood had fallen back around her neck and the water was dripping down her dark hair. Piper waited for her to say something, but Prue stayed silent as she slowly glanced around. No one else was coming. It was just the two of them.

Finally Prue sat down and put her arm around Piper, leaning back against the large piece of stone. Piper slid over towards her sister, resting her head against Prue as she made patterns in the wet dirt with her fingers. Prue looked up at the sky, squinting as the raindrops fell on her face.

"Grams says Mommy is up there watching us. She'll be sad if we cry."

"I didn't mean to make her mad, Prue," she mumbled, her voice wavering as she scratched out her drawings. "I told her sorry."

"It's not you," Prue said and Piper could see just how close to tears she really was. Prue pulled her a little bit closer as she shivered again. "She just had to go."

"But she loved us." Piper wiped her eyes again. "She said so, Mommy said so."

"Of course she did," Prue insisted. "She loved you and me and Phoebe too. But she died. She can't come back now. But she's gonna watch us from now on."

"I don't care," Piper said, staring down at the ground. This wasn't fair. She didn't believe Prue; her sister was just saying those things because Grams had made her. It was Piper's fault that her mother had left them. "I want her back... Who's gonna be our Mommy now?"

"I will," Prue said slowly, her voice shaking a little. "I'll take care of you. I'll be your Mommy now and Phoebe's too. Grams'll probably help me."

"No," Piper said. That wasn't good enough. It would never be good enough. "No, I want Mommy."

"Me too." Prue nodded pushing her hair back behind her ears. Piper bit her lip trying so hard to be strong. But then finally she gave up and fell across Prue's lap, the tears coming once more. She lay there, unable to move, to even look up. It hurt so badly. She could feel Prue's hands on her head, trying to shield Piper from the rain now that her own hood had fallen away. "I miss Mommy too."


	2. Chapter 1

"All right, your turn," Piper laughed as she reached over to turn down the radio. Jingle Bell Rock was playing for the bazillionth time. But before she could touch the volume control Phoebe had slapped her fingers away. Piper pulled back immediately, putting her hands on the wheel again as the road curved ahead.

"I like this song," Phoebe insisted even as Piper groaned in disgust.

"And the fact that they've played it non-stop for the past two weeks doesn't bother you?" Piper glanced over at her younger sister who was fiddling with the heater. Phoebe moved one of the vents and Piper held up her arm as a blast of hot air hit her full in the face. Quickly, Piper leaned over and switched off the heat, determined not to let Phoebe take over her car. "I swear if I hear this song one more time, I'm going to send the Christmas tree flying out the window."

"No, 'cause that would be Prue's job. She's the grinch and I think the telekinesis would make an evergreen fly that much higher." Phoebe grinned as she sat back in her seat. "And besides when did you become the Ebinezer of the family? It's a festive time, Piper. Why don't you trying joining me in this thing we call Christmas?"

"Fine." Piper couldn't help but smile as Phoebe turned the radio up even louder. The rain that was pounding on the jeep could hardly be heard now over the chorus of the popular Christmas carol. "But it's still your turn."

"All right, all right. Favorite Yule time memory..." Phoebe clasped her hands together and Piper could tell she was deep in thought. Phoebe lived for these types of games. She was great at remembering every funny, embarrassing, wonderful moment in the Halliwell household. "Oooh, I so have one. That time when you bought that lingerie for Prue, remember? And you accidentally gave it to Grams instead. The look on her face, that was way beyond priceless. And then-"

"Whoa, hold on there." Piper stopped Phoebe before she could get any farther. She'd almost forgotten that one. But Phoebe's memory, while almost perfect, was highly selective. "First of all, that was you who gave her the present. And second you were way too young to even know where the lingerie store was."

"What can I say?" Phoebe shrugged, giving her an innocent smile. "I was always ahead of everyone else."

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, back to you now," Phoebe said. Piper could hear her sleigh bell earrings as her sister turned her head in anticipation. "Second favorite Christmas memory."

Piper pressed her lips together, letting her brain search back through the years. Finally she seized upon one memory and the smile on her face grew even larger.

"That Christmas with Mom just after you were born," she said. It was weird how the image suddenly appeared in her mind, but the memory was there, perfectly preserved. "We got all bundled up and stood on the front porch so Prue could watch for reindeer." Piper felt a slight ache in her heart as she thought back. "I remember Mom smelled like the cinnamon from the cookies."

"Okay, no fair." Phoebe shook her head, causing her earrings to jingle once more. She was still grinning, but Piper could hear the pain in her voice. Phoebe, however, wasn't one to let her sadness show, so instead she wagged a playful finger at Piper. "My brain was hardly even working then. I have no way to judge whether that's worthy of the Halliwell Christmas moments award."

"Believe me, it was." Piper nodded staring out at the road. She had realized too late that she shouldn't have brought up their mother. It wasn't fair to her younger sister. Piper had so many memories that Phoebe would never have. She and Prue had agreed not to bring up their mom, not unless Phoebe asked. And she hadn't asked in awhile.

They both fell silent for a few moments as Jingle Bell Rock played through. Piper tapped the brake lightly as the car ahead of her slowed. The rain was getting worse and she had to lean forward in order to see through the darkness. She reached over and turned down the radio. This time Phoebe didn't protest.

"I think this is the street."

"It looks like it." Phoebe pressed her nose against the glass to get a better look at the sign. "Turn left here."

"Demon hunting during the holiday season," Piper mumbled. It felt as if all the energy had been sucked out of the car. An automatic switch had gone off somewhere within her. It was time to get serious. "It's sure not something they write Christmas songs about."

"Well yeah, I mean Santa killing big, gnarly looking creatures probably wouldn't make for a good bedtime story," Phoebe said, checking over the map she had laid in her lap. "'The Demon Hunt Before Christmas' just doesn't have the same ring to it."

"I guess there's a reason why witches claim Halloween as their national holiday," Piper said. "Christmas just isn't for us."

"Hey now." Piper could feel her sister's disapproving stare as they drove down the street. "Let's not bag on the best time of the year just because we had to suspend our shopping time for a little witchcraft."

"Well I'm thinking Nordstrom's would have been my preferred destination this evening. They were having a half-off sale," Piper said. "I'm still minus a gift for Prue and you know she gets cranky if we don't get her something... how did she put it?"

"Thoughtful?"

"Perfect," Piper corrected her, feigning her older sister's serious tone. "Something that reflects the true essence of Prudence Halliwell."

"First of all, that's not what she said."

"But that is what she meant."

"All right I'll give you that one," Phoebe said. Piper had figured she would. They were all aware that Prue was picky about her gifts. Phoebe knew that best of all from her days of giving three-day late birthday cards.

"See, I'm just doubling my danger duty now, facing demons and a bitter, giftless sister."

"Piper, hello?" Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Innocents to protect, evil to get rid of... A little more important than Christmas consumerism."

"Oh look who's talking, little Miss Yule Time." Piper took her eyes off the road just long enough to give her sister the once over. Phoebe looked more like one of Santa's elves than a protector of the innocent. Her hair was done up in little red and green barrettes and she'd somehow managed to sneak mistletoe up onto Piper's rearview mirror. Piper had considered taking it down, but she'd promised to drive their neighbor, Dan, to work the next day, so Phoebe had insisted on leaving it up. "Tell me your mind isn't more focused on what will be sitting under the tree than on vanquishing spells."

"Hey, I have balance in my life." Phoebe lifted her chin with an air of superiority. "I am the every witch, able to mix my supernatural world and my regular one."

"Well good for you." Piper nodded. "But in the meantime, you want to remind me why we're out here at midnight three days before Christmas?"

"I got a visit from the premonition fairy."

"All right, let's re-run the explanation here." She knew Phoebe had been over this already when she'd visited Piper's club earlier in the day. But the truth was Piper had been too busy scheduling for the holiday season to listen that carefully. "A short summary will do."

"The instant replay?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, from the top," Phoebe said. Piper could hear the impatience in her voice, but never the less Phoebe explained again. She had always been the most eager to discuss their work, or impending doom as Piper liked to call it. So she never passed up a chance to clue her sisters in.

"I was watching the news and they came up with the story on that little church over in Marin," she said quickly. "And they were talking about the Christmas pageant or whatever that they were putting on."

"And?"

"And boom-killer premonition." Phoebe seemed a little exasperated with her sister's questioning. "There was this woman and she was attacking some priest. She was kind of tossing him through the air, except she never touched him."

"So she was a witch?"

"Yes Piper. She was a witch."

Piper could almost hear the unspoken "duh" hanging at the end of that sentence.

"A very bad witch. And she did the, you know-" Phoebe squinted then waved her arms in the air, "-the hand thing, like Prue does."

"Telekinesis?"

"Yes! I so knew that word two minutes ago." Phoebe wrinkled her nose, a little disappointed with herself. But then she smiled and patted Piper on the shoulder. "You're catching on though."

"This is what we're going on?" Piper was suddenly feeling a little bit nervous. "A bad witch who has the power to move things?"

Phoebe was always a little eager and sometimes she lacked the preparation research that Piper was so fond of. A little knowledge went a long way in their line of work. And sometimes Phoebe forgot that. She was big on the Book of Shadows and all of its info, but sometimes she was a little overconfident.

"Pheebs, premonitions are nice and all, but previous contact and knowledge-usually helpful."

"Well Pheeb TV was enough for Prue." Phoebe said with a shrug. There was a slight defensiveness in her tone, but Piper was used to it by now. They all knew that Piper's role was that of the slightly paranoid sister. Phoebe was great at getting things done and Piper was great at making sure they didn't get killed in the meantime.

"All right," Piper bit her lip and tried to calm her nerves by concentrating on the familiar rumble of the engine. She liked that sound a whole lot more when they were driving away from danger, as opposed to straight at it. But at this point she didn't seem to have much of a choice. "Okay, so what's the plan for getting rid of the evil witch?"

"Well Prue has the spell."

"Prue has the spell?" Piper's voice rose a notch as she gripped the steering wheel tighter. She tried to keep her eyes on the rain soaked windshield, resisting the urge to stare at her sister. "But Prue's not here. I thought you had the spell. Why don't you have the spell?"

"Because Prue's bringing it from work." Phoebe was suddenly very preoccupied with her nails. "I was sort of showing it to her at Bucklands and then I kind of-"

"Forgot it? You forgot the spell?" Piper couldn't believe it. All they had in their favor now was Piper's power to freeze. Phoebe's premonitions had gotten them there, but now it would be left to the sister with the active power. Piper sighed. They were going up against an apparently mean and powerful witch with one active power between them and no spell. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"Well Prue has to be there anyway," Phoebe said. "That's why she's meeting us."

"Oh god," Piper could feel the panic rising within her. Yes, she was the paranoid sister, but she was beginning to believe that paranoia had given her the upper hand sanity wise.

"Piper, stop worrying," Phoebe said. "Maybe we should go back to the Christmas game."

"Forget the Christmas game. We're going to die. I knew I shouldn't have let you talk me into this." Piper nodded to herself. "I was perfectly happy on the couch watching 'It's A Wonderful Life.'"

"Relax." Phoebe smiled and turned up the radio again. Jingle Bell Rock had somehow found itself back on the airwaves. Piper gritted her teeth as her sister tapped out the beat on the dashboard. "Prue will be there. We'll go, we'll see, we'll vanquish."

"Uh-huh." Piper kept her eyes on the road. She was scared to look over at Phoebe, because if she did she knew she'd see her sister's total lack of worry. In the last few months things had been going well in the fighting evil department, a little too well, and Piper was beginning to wonder if they were all getting cocky.

It'll be okay though, she reminded herself. Phoebe was right. Prue would be there, ready with the spell. Prue was the big sister, the most powerful of all of them. She always took care of everything. Of course she would be there…


	3. Chapter 2

AN: Just to remind people, this is taken from another author with permission to continue it.

T:T:T:T

"She's not here." Piper pushed open the door, then stepped out into the rain, pulling a large parka on over her sweater. She threw up her hood, then turned around in a large circle, examining the deserted parking lot. Her jeep was the only vehicle in sight. "Prue's not here."

"Of course she's here." Piper heard Phoebe's door slam as she jumped out on the other side of the jeep. She came running over to Piper, holding up her hands to shield herself from the rain. Count on Phoebe to come without a coat, Piper thought.

"We are standing out in the pouring rain, alone," Piper turned to glare at her sister, as Phoebe dropped her arms to her sides. "Do you see anyone else here?"

"Well, maybe the traffic was bad." She shrugged, seeming perfectly content to get soaked.

"Or maybe she's not coming," Piper muttered. She crossed her arms, trying not to think about the fact that Phoebe was probably going to catch pneumonia thanks to their little excursion. Glancing around, Piper spotted the church they'd been looking for. The huge steeple loomed above them, nearly lost in the clouds. There were a few lights coming from the building that gave the area a yellowish glow. But at that point the effect was more eerie than helpful. The theater stood next to it, shrouded in darkness.

"Prue will be here." Phoebe leaned back against the car. She seemed completely unfazed by their sister's absence. She stared up at the sky, almost daring it to pour even harder. Then she stuck her tongue out and caught a few raindrops in her mouth.

"This is great." Piper rubbed her forehead, grimacing as the rain continued to pelt them. Already she could feel a headache coming on and the evening had barely begun. They hadn't even gotten to the good stuff as Phoebe liked to call it. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"We wait and see if our sister's really as responsible as she thinks she is," Phoebe said with a smile. Piper felt a sudden urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake a small dose of healthy fear into the girl. But instead she rubbed her hands together, trying to keep warm.

"Okay, well there was nothing in the book about freezing to death." Piper pulled her jacket tighter around her. "I think I'll wait in the car."

"Piper, hold on-" The sound of chimes from the clock tower interrupted her. Phoebe whirled around, looking suddenly scared. _Oh, now she starts to worry_ Piper thought, _now when we're already here, in the dark, alone. This is so very Phoebe. _

"That's what I heard in my vision," she said. "We have to go help!"

Latching on to Piper's arm, she took a few steps towards the small building next to the church. Well, so much for her fear, Piper thought as she wriggled out of her sister's grasp. She wasn't going anywhere without a spell. It was crazy, it was stupid, and it could get them both killed.

Then for a split second Piper thought she saw a flash of light coming from the theater. Someone was definitely there, in the building Phoebe so eagerly wanted to enter. Piper grabbed her sister and pulled her back behind the jeep.

"Are you crazy?" Piper winced as her words echoed through the parking lot. She lowered her voice to a whisper as she peaked over the roof of the car. The theater was dark once again, but Piper wasn't going to take any chances. "What are we going to do once we're in there?"

"Well we can at least fend her off until Prue gets here," Phoebe said impatiently. "I mean you can freeze her, and then I'll-"

"You'll what?" Piper gave her an incredulous look. "Hurt her with a premonition? Unless your powers have grown, I don't think that's a real useful plan there, Pheebs."

Phoebe made a face at her, but Piper ignored it. There was no way they were going into that building, not without back-up. Even standing out in the freezing cold was a better plan than that. And so they would wait. Prue would have to show up sooner or later.

Piper closed her eyes for a second and leaned back against the jeep. She tried to picture herself on a beach in Hawaii, or at least indoors. But she couldn't stop shivering. And then she heard the sound of thunder.

"Great." Piper's eyes snapped open as the rain fell even harder. Staring up into the sky, she began to wonder if the night could possibly get any worse. "Of course it can," she said to herself. "It always does."

Piper sighed as she walked around to the back of her car and opened the trunk. Somewhere in there she had stashed a couple of umbrellas. After a few seconds of rustling around, she found them. Grabbing one, she turned to hand it to Phoebe. It was then that she caught sight of her sister halfway across the parking lot. Piper's jaw dropped as she tossed the umbrella back into the jeep and closed the trunk.

"Oh, okay, fine. Does anyone listen to the sane sister?" Piper muttered. With a sigh, she took off towards the theater, slipping and sliding across the wet pavement. She knew Phoebe was the most daring of all of them, but she was also the least powerful. Sure she could kickbox someone straight into a wall but that probably wasn't going to do her much good against an evil, telekinetic member of the Wiccan population.

"Phoebe!" Piper tried to keep her voice down. Somewhere nearby was a dangerous witch, a witch that Phoebe seemed to be running straight towards. "Don't go-"

But it was too late. Phoebe had already reached the back door of the theater building. She glanced at Piper as if to make sure she was following, then slipped inside. Piper gritted her teeth and ran faster until she had reached the same door. She threw it open, and rushed inside, nearly plowing into her sister. Piper bent over, trying to catch her breath.

"What are you doing?" she demanded breathlessly. "Are you-"

Phoebe covered her mouth before she could finish. As they waited there silently they could hear voices coming from somewhere else in the building. Piper glanced around. They were in a tiny room, more like a closet, with a few steps at one end. As Piper crept behind Phoebe she realized that the tiny staircase led up to the backstage area. Some twenty feet beyond the top of the stairs was the curtain that separated them from the main stage, the setting for Phoebe's premonition. Well, Piper thought, at least we're in the right place.

Even as Piper attempted to stop her, Phoebe moved cautiously up the steps. The voices were getting louder and angrier. Piper couldn't quite hear what was being said, but obviously there was a fight going on near the left end of the stage. Luckily for them, they were on the right.

"Tell me you have a plan," Piper whispered as Phoebe finally stopped behind the curtain. "Prue's never going to find us in here."

"Well we've got to stop the witch somehow," Phoebe said. Piper could hear the determination in her voice. "If we can just help the priest get away-"

"How exactly are we supposed to do that?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet," Phoebe said quietly. Then she cocked her head to one side as she regarded her sister. "You know we really ought to work on our prep phase."

"You think?" Piper's eyebrows narrowed and she resisted hauling out her tried and true I-told-you-so look. Phoebe wrinkled her nose and started moving again. Piper reluctantly followed her, grabbing onto the back of her sister's shirt to keep from losing her in the darkness.

As the voices grew even louder, they carefully navigated around tables piled high with props and Christmas decorations. Then they turned and made their way along the side wall of the theater. Piper held her breath as they peaked through the long wings and onto the stage. A few lights had been turned on, but the entire area was poorly lit. Still she could see the voices' owners standing in the opposite wings. They had to be fifty or sixty feet away, but not nearly as far as Piper would have liked them to be.

Piper crouched down next to her sister and let her eyes wander around the stage. Phoebe had been right. The place was definitely set up for a Christmas pageant. The half of the stage nearest to them had a miniature barn towards the back. It was long and the wall closest to where the audience would be was open so that they could see inside. A large cradle sat just in front of it, surrounded by little wooden animals and trees made of plywood. As Piper lifted herself a little bit higher she could even make out a carved baby figure. Piper couldn't believe it. None of the sisters were regular church-goers, but still the scene was rather ironic. This would be their first manger vanquishing and it even came complete with a wooden baby Jesus.

"That's definitely her," Phoebe whispered, pointing towards the woman on the other side of the stage. Piper glanced over at the witch. She was young, not much older than Prue, and she hardly looked menacing. But if they had learned anything in the past two years it was that looks could be deceiving.

Still, it was the priest who gave Piper the creeps. He just stood there, not saying anything as the woman gestured wildly at him. Piper wished she could understand what the woman was saying. But the sudden thunderstorm combined with the distance made it hard to understand. And even though the woman appeared to be angry, she certainly wasn't shouting. In fact she seemed almost to be whispering. Probably doesn't want anybody to hear her, Piper thought. If she really was about to kill the priest she wasn't going to want any witnesses.

Suddenly Piper realized that she was crouching there alone. She whirled around, trying not to lose her precarious balance. Phoebe was gone. If she made it through this alive, Piper was going to sit her little sister down and give her a stern lecture about the importance of sticking together. The disappearing act was driving her crazy.

Piper straightened and glanced around frantically, searching for her lost sister. Her mind was already striving for a backup plan if she should get stuck there alone. But finally, as she turned back towards the stage, she spotted Phoebe. Piper's eyes widened. Her sister was crawling across the stage, slowly weaving her way through the maze of wooden animals. After a moment she halted behind the barn. She turned and motioned for Piper to follow. Piper shook her head abruptly. Phoebe had stepped right on past that thin line between sanity and madness. _No,_ Piper thought _she hadn't just stepped past it, she'd sailed straight across it.  
_

T:T:T

Piper had that look on her face. Phoebe watched and waited as her sister crawled at an excruciatingly slow pace, making her way towards the barn. Luckily for them, the back corner of the stage was the darkest, making them almost undetectable. But during the last few feet of her journey, Piper went right under the light and Phoebe could see her sister's expression again. Yep, she thought, I'm going to be hearing about this for the rest of my life. Piper was freaked, and worse yet, she looked mad.

A few more seconds passed and she was safely behind the barn with Phoebe. Piper glared at her sister, then smacked her lightly on the arm. Phoebe shot her a look then stood slowly, trying to get a better view over the roof of the barn. But Piper immediately pulled her back down.

"Be careful," she said under her breath. "We don't have any way to vanquish her."

"Well, freeze them already."

Piper seemed taken aback. She obviously hadn't considered that. Phoebe waited as her sister took a deep breath. Then Piper signaled for her to move aside. With Phoebe out of her way, she crawled to the edge of the barn closest to the witch. And then with one quick motion she leaned out around the building and threw out her hands. Phoebe straightened again, peering over the barn, even as Piper dove back behind it. The movement caused one of the wooden sheep to fall over and Phoebe ducked as the witch spun around.

"They didn't freeze!" Phoebe whispered, flattening herself against the back of the building.

The stage was quiet as the voices suddenly stopped. Piper cast a sideways glance at her sister then scrunched her eyes shut. The sound of footsteps could be heard in the otherwise silent theater and Phoebe held her breath, knowing that the witch was heading towards them. But after a few seconds the footsteps seemed to move back in the other direction. And then the muffled voices started up again.

Phoebe looked over at Piper as her sister slowly opened her eyes. She knew that they were thinking the same thing. Without Piper's power they were pretty much helpless.

"Okay Phoebe, you planned the party," Piper's voice was barely audible. "So now you tell me what to do."

Phoebe cautiously moved around the barn then reached out and stuck her hand in the large wooden cradle, pulling out the figure inside. She held it in both hands and tested its weight. Then she crawled back behind the barn and handed it to Piper, but not before grabbing a wooden sheep for herself.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Piper held up the figure.

"You might want to watch your language around him." Phoebe whispered, pointing towards the baby. Piper just glared at her.

"Oh, but its okay to beat someone over the head with him?"

"Under the circumstances I don't think he'd mind."

Piper didn't seem convinced but Phoebe saw her grip tighten on the wooden figure as the thunder crashed again. Phoebe could tell she was frightened, which was nothing new for Piper. But even Phoebe was scared now. She straightened a little, enabling herself to look over the barn's roof once more. She had to see what they were up against. Even without any powers, there had to be some way to protect that priest.

From her vantage point, Phoebe had a clear view of the witch and her prey. They were still talking, and the conversation's volume had increased once again. The witch's gestures were getting more and wilder and Phoebe could just make out the angered expression on her face. And then she saw something that made her blood chill. The woman reached into her waistband and pulled out a dagger.

"Oh no." Phoebe watched as the priest backed away. The dagger hadn't been in her vision. Phoebe realized with horror that she must have missed it somehow.

Suddenly the woman raised her arm and the man went flying across the room. He landed in the center of the stage a little more than ten feet from their hiding place. The woman approached him slowly, the stage lights reflecting off of the dagger. Phoebe reached down, her fingers wrapping around Piper's arm. She pulled her sister to her feet, hearing the wooden figure drop back to the ground. Phoebe motioned towards the woman.

"Freeze her!"

"I tried, I can't-"

"Try again!" Phoebe whispered desperately. Piper waved her hands in the air, but again nothing happened. "Piper, do something!"

But it was too late. The woman took one final step across the stage and stood over the man, even as he scrambled to get up. Phoebe and Piper watched in horror as she plunged the knife deep into his stomach. Phoebe turned quickly, trying not to look. She saw all the blood drain from Piper's face, as her sister's eyes stayed glued to the priest.


	4. Chapter 3

"Oh god..." Piper felt sick to her stomach. She just stood there, watching as the woman stabbed him again. The priest struggled once more to get to his knees, then finally crumpled to the ground. He didn't move again. He just laid there, the blood starting to show through his clothes.

"Piper..." She could hear Phoebe whispering. But her sister's voice sounded far away. Piper suddenly felt disconnected from the world, as if she were drifting away from reality. Maybe this was a dream, just some terrible nightmare. But then she felt Phoebe tugging on her arm, pulling her down into a crouching position back behind the barn. Piper tried to breathe, but she couldn't get any air into her lungs. She felt like she was suffocating. "Piper." Phoebe shook her a little. "Are you okay?"

"I couldn't freeze her," Piper said after a moment. She looked down at her hands, unable to understand how her power could fail her. "I tried, but I couldn't."

"I know." Phoebe said. She was obviously terrified but she was trying not to show it.

Piper swallowed as her mouth went dry, then she glanced around the theater once more. But it was as if the entire world had become hazy. And she couldn't get the image of the priest out of her mind. He was so close, just lying there on the other side of the barn. But there was nothing they could do for him. They had failed and now they would have to leave him behind.

Piper glanced over at Phoebe, then started to inch her way back towards the wings. She had to leave. She had to get out of there.

"Piper," Phoebe reached for her arm and pulled her back abruptly. "She'll see us! We have to stay here."

"No." Piper's eyes widened as she regarded her sister. Phoebe didn't seem to understand the situation. They were in way over their heads and it was time to get out. "I can't stay here." She shook her head quickly. "We can't stay here!"

"Just until she leaves," Phoebe said.

"No, no way." Piper slipped out of Phoebe's grasp and moved over to the corner of the barn, leaning her head out around it. But it wasn't the stage that she saw, it was a bright red shirt a few inches from her nose.

Piper screamed and leapt back, but already the witch had latched onto her. Piper was lifted off of the ground as the woman dragged her up into the air. But she barely needed to touch Piper. Instead she let her power hold her there, as Piper floated helplessly a few inches from the floor. She's definitely a witch, Piper thought, and she's a whole lot stronger than Prue.

Piper tried to stay calm even as she noticed the dagger in the woman's other hand. And now Piper could see the blood on it, the blood of the poor priest lying there on the stage.

"You came to help him..." She brought the knife up to Piper's neck and the girl winced as the blade touched her skin. "Now you will die for that."

T:T:T

Prue felt her car bounce a little as the wheels hit the curb in front of the church. She backed up a few inches, then put the car into park, breathing a sigh of relief. She had finally made it.

But as she sat there a shiver ran up her spine. All she could hear was the rain and the slow rhythmic sound of her windshield wipers. The street was deserted at that time of night. She hadn't seen another car in miles, which meant that they were alone. The evil witch Phoebe had seen could do whatever she wanted and nobody would be there to stop her, nobody except Prue and her sisters.

It had been a bad idea from the start, she knew. Prue couldn't believe she had ever agreed to it. Splitting up was never smart. It was always better to stick together, to get there together and leave together. They were much more powerful as a group than they were individually. Still, Phoebe had never had a premonition that wasn't important. And so there was no way that they could ignore what she'd seen.

At the same time though, Prue had never had an auction that was as important as the one that Bucklands was having. And so they had compromised. By deciding to meet at the church she had been able to spend more time at her job. She had even managed to avoid the "leaving early" lecture her boss was so fond of giving. But as Prue shut off the ignition, she realized that they had made the wrong decision. They needed to be together on this one.

Prue pulled out Phoebe's directions, peering at the crumpled piece of paper under the streetlights. She had already checked it three times, but now she checked it a fourth. She was definitely at the right place. So far so good.

Prue carefully slipped the sheet back into her purse then checked to make sure that the spell was still there. It was, and Prue's heart beat slowed a little. Everything's fine, she assured herself. You're just catching Piper paranoia.

Stepping out of the car, Prue made a quick dash through the rain. Thankfully she'd passed up the parking lot in exchange for her spot on the street. That put her a lot closer to the theater. As soon as she was under the front overhang, Prue glanced around. The front door was over to her left, and as she stepped towards it, she saw the light underneath. Someone or something was already inside.

Prue knew she was late which meant that her sisters had probably been in there awhile. And they would need her, more importantly they would need the spell. Prue cautiously reached for the door knob, pulling the door open just far enough to peer inside. Even in the dim lighting she could just make out the aisle that ran from the door straight to the front of the stage. Row upon row of empty seats sat on either side of the aisle and everything was deathly quiet. She couldn't see either of her sisters. In fact, she couldn't see anyone at all. The entire place looked empty.

Please tell me I got the right place, Prue thought as she stepped inside. She slowly crept down the aisle, keeping an eye out for any sign of movement. She didn't want to be surprised. She was alone after all. She'd been so worried about her sisters that'd she almost forgotten that fact. At least Piper and Phoebe had each other.

As Prue came closer to the stage she saw a huge pile of debris in one corner. It seemed as if someone had built a manger scene there, only now it looked more like a war zone. The barn was in pieces and the wooden animal were scattered all over the place. There was a broken cradle over near the center of the stage and- Prue's eyes widened. She hadn't even noticed the crumpled forms lying amongst everything else.

"Oh god!" She felt her heart start to race as she ran the rest of the way down the aisle. She leapt onto the stage and knelt down next to the first figure. It was the priest Phoebe had described in her vision. His eyes were closed and his face had turned an ashen color. It took a minute for Prue to spot the pool of blood over on one side of his body. She stood slowly as she saw it, then turned her head in the other direction. Prue suddenly felt nauseous as she stumbled away from the man. She knew she should try to help him. But first she had to find her sisters. She had to know if they were okay.

"Piper!" She whirled around frantically, trying not to trip over the wooden lamb at her feet. "Phoebe?"

Prue quickly made her way across the stage and saw another form lying there on the ground. It was a woman she didn't recognize. Once Prue realized it wasn't either of her sisters she avoided looking any closer. Out of the corner of her eye she could already see blood on the woman's clothes. Cautiously Prue stepped around her then moved back behind the manger scene.

"Piper?" Prue's voice was starting to shake. Those two people she had come upon were dead, she was almost sure of it. And if her sisters had been there it was more than likely that they had suffered the same fate. Prue couldn't bare the thought. She had chosen some stupid auction over helping Piper and Phoebe. Her job wasn't worth anything when weighed against the two people she loved most in the world. If anything happened to them Prue knew that she would die herself. She couldn't live knowing that she hadn't been there to protect them.

"Phoebe!" Prue kicked aside the broken animals and took a deep breath, trying to push those horrible thoughts from her mind. But she was already on the verge of tears. She was terrified to look down now, worried that she might see one of her sisters lying there. And then as she came along the other side of the manger she saw a third crumpled form. Prue recognized her immediately and she felt the tears starting to fall down her face.

"Phoebe!" Prue kneeled beside her youngest sister. She checked her over in the dim light, but didn't see any blood. "Phoebe?"

Phoebe groaned and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, looking dazed, but otherwise unhurt. Prue felt herself start to smile as a wave of relief washed over her.

"Prue?" Phoebe squinted up at her.

"Yeah, it's me," Prue said gently. "What happened?"

"We found the witch," Phoebe mumbled as Prue helped her sit up. As she glanced around she seemed to notice the woman laying a few feet away. Phoebe's eyes widened in surprise. "I guess we killed the witch."

"Where's Piper?" Prue asked. "I checked the stage already."

"I don't know." Phoebe stood as Prue helped her up. From her previous position she hadn't been able to see the extent of the damage on the stage, but now as Phoebe looked around, Prue could see a little worry creep into her expression. Phoebe's confusion was quickly turning into fear.

"Phoebe, try and remember," Prue pressed on. "We have to find Piper."

"The witch grabbed her I know that, but then-" Phoebe's voice rose as she looked around. "I don't remember. But she was with me, Prue, I swear."

"It's okay," Prue said quietly, trying to ease Phoebe's panic. "I'm sure she's fine."

But even as Prue said that she wasn't completely convinced. She knew Piper would never leave Phoebe, not unless something had happened, and that something couldn't have been good.

"I'm going to go look for her." She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and handed it to Phoebe. "You call Darryl."

"Okay." Phoebe nodded and carefully stepped back towards the curtain, trying to get as far away from the bodies as possible. Prue glanced back at her as she made her way towards the wings. But Phoebe seemed to be fine. Now that she had something to do she looked calmer. The shock of the situation seemed to be wearing off.

Prue moved back behind the curtain, her hand trailing along the soft velvet. The backstage area was completely empty. Piper wasn't there. Prue had been so relieved to find Phoebe, but now as she searched for her remaining sister her worry had made its return.

Outside she could hear the thunder rumble and Prue shivered. She wandered along the back wall of the theater, opening the long row of doors across from the curtain. She peered into a number of dressing rooms and one filled with props. But she didn't see her sister anywhere.

Finally she spotted the stairs that led to the back room. She went down them two at a time, then made her way to the door. She threw it open and a sheet of rain hit her full in the face. In a matter of seconds Prue was soaked. The storm was out in full force and her clothes clung to her body as she glanced around.

"Piper!" Her voice mixed with another clap of thunder. Everything was shrouded in darkness. The moon had long since disappeared behind the clouds and all she could see was the parking lot that sat empty except for Piper's jeep. Prue wiped the rain from her face and turned back towards the building. Just then the lightning flashed and she saw someone huddled there against the back wall. It was her sister. She was sitting there, knees pulled to her chest, her face buried in the sleeves of her jacket.

"Piper!" Prue ran over and knelt down beside her rain soaked sister.

"Prue?"

"Piper, honey what's wrong?" Her sister's hair was plastered to her head and Prue quickly pushed it out of her eyes. She couldn't tell whether Piper had been crying, or whether her face was just wet from the rain. "What happened?"

"I killed her." Piper's voice was barely above a whisper. Her entire body shook as she looked up at her sister.

"Who?" Prue stared at her for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

"The witch," Piper wiped her eyes quickly, but it was pointless thanks to the rain. "I killed her."

It was then that Prue saw the dagger a few inches from where they were sitting. The blood had washed off in the rain and spread into the surrounding puddle, giving it a pinkish tint. She blinked, trying hard to picture her sister wielding a dagger, even against an evil witch. Piper rubbed her hands against her pants, and Prue saw the blood on them.

"I can't get it off." Piper dropped her head back into her knees. "I killed her."

"But you had to, Piper."

Prue turned her head up and saw Phoebe standing above them. She was shivering and Prue realized that she wasn't even wearing a coat. Never the less, Phoebe sat down in the puddle next to Piper and put her arm around her. But Piper didn't bother to look up. Prue watched Phoebe's efforts to comfort their sister and then their eyes met.

"What happened?" she mouthed silently nodding towards Piper. Phoebe didn't answer. She just stroked Piper's hair, hugging her gently. It was obvious that Prue had missed something important. She hadn't been there for her sisters and this was the price they were all going to pay. Prue bit her lip watching Phoebe and Piper.

"Piper, we vanquish bad guys all the time," Phoebe said softly. "She was evil; it's what we had to do."

"This is different," Piper mumbled, finally glancing up at her.

"No, it's not. She was going to kill me."

"We don't know that."

"We do know that," Phoebe insisted. "She attacked you, she attacked me, and she attacked that priest in there. We came here to vanquish her."

"No we came here to protect that priest," Piper said. "She wasn't a demon."

"But she was a murderer," Phoebe added.

"That doesn't make it okay for me to kill her."

"It might not make it okay," Prue said as Piper turned towards her. "But it certainly makes it justified."

"Where were you?" Piper asked suddenly. Prue expected to see anger in her eyes, but instead all she saw was sadness. "You were supposed to be here."

"I know." Prue looked down at the ground feeling horrible. She almost wished Piper would get angry with her for letting this happen. She wanted her sister to yell at her, to blame her. But Piper would never do that. Prue knew she would take all the guilt for herself. "I should have been here Piper," Prue said. "It's my fault."

"It's nobody's fault," Phoebe said quickly. "We can't feel bad about protecting ourselves. This was a bad witch who was hurting people and we came here to vanquish her. It doesn't matter how we did it."

"And at least the evil's gone."

Prue saw Piper nod a little. But she knew her sister wasn't convinced.

T:T:T

Piper leaned against the window, watching as the rain rolled down the glass in tiny droplets. Back at the theater she had agreed to let Phoebe drive them home. Her sisters' surprise had been obvious. Piper had been a little more possessive of her keys since Phoebe had backed Prue's car into a pole. But for once Piper didn't care about her little sister's driving skills. Things like that just didn't matter.

Everything was weird now, she knew. Her sister's couldn't understand her sudden demeanor. They had all been forced to kill demons and witches before. This wasn't anything different, and Piper knew her behavior had confused them, if not worried them. But there were things they didn't know, things she couldn't bring herself to tell them. There just wasn't any point.

Piper closed her eyes for a moment. She was completely exhausted. But she was beginning to wonder if she would ever be able to sleep again. Every time she shut her eyes she saw those people in the theater. The ambulance had come and taken the priest away. But it was already too late for the other woman. Of course Piper had known that all along. It still didn't make it any easier though. Piper opened her eyes again just as Jingle Bell Rock came back on the radio.

"You want me to turn it off?" Phoebe asked.

"No, it's okay," Piper sighed. She'd almost forgotten Christmas. It was only a few days away. Piper bit her lip and slowly reached into her over-sized pocket, careful not to let Phoebe see what she was doing. The little book was still in there. It was soaked, and she could feel the pages curling up. But at least it hadn't fallen out.

Piper swallowed hard as she thought about the picture inside. She knew she couldn't tell her sisters about it. They already blamed themselves for that woman's death, for what Piper had done. She didn't need to make it any worse. No, it had to be her secret. Prue and Phoebe could never know.

T:T:T

It was nearly dusk, but it was hard to tell with all the dark clouds that had formed in the sky. So far the rain hadn't come that day, but Piper was pretty sure it would make an appearance some time that evening. She pulled her scarf tighter and zipped up her jacket as she stepped out of her jeep. She hesitated a moment before she finally turned around and faced the theater. It looked different somehow in the last rays of daylight. It was almost as if nothing had happened there. But the long yellow lines of the police tape reminded Piper of the truth. It hadn't been some horrible nightmare. It had all really happened. The priest was probably still in the hospital and the witch was dead, all because of Piper.

She shoved her hands in her pockets, touching the little book with her fingertips. She'd come back for a reason. She'd come to make amends, or at least try to. Slowly she took two steps towards the church, then two more. With each step her feet moved a little easier, but her heart beat a little bit faster. She could see the witch, almost as if the woman were walking right beside her, watching her every move. Piper swallowed hard, willing herself to keep going. If she didn't do it now, then she knew she never would.

Finally she was only ten or so feet from the theater. But that wasn't her final destination. Instead she moved past it and walked across the long path over to the church. She tugged at her gloves, trying not to shiver in the blustery wind. The storm would be there soon.

Another minute passed and she finally reached the set of wooden doors. Piper suddenly remembered when she had discovered that she was a witch. She'd been terrified to enter a church for fear that she'd be struck down because she was evil. Now as she grabbed for the door handle, she held her breath, her fears momentarily renewed. There was a crash of thunder but the door opened easily as she pulled on it. She slowly let herself inside.

The moment she stepped onto the carpet, Piper's heart fell to her feet. Up at the front the children's choir was practicing for the Christmas ceremony. Their carols echoed through the building as Piper slowly made her way down the aisle. Taking a seat in a pew near the back, she pulled the little book out of her pocket. It was a tiny version of The Christmas Carol. She bit her lip then opened the cover, peering at the picture that was still tucked inside.

There was Faith Evans, the witch she had killed. She was young and smiling and cradling a small child in her arms. A long crease had been made down the center of the picture, and Piper ran her fingers over it methodically, trying to smooth it. But as she did, she couldn't take her eyes off of the little boy, the child who had lost his mother three days before Christmas. Piper could feel the tears stinging her eyes and she quickly wiped her face with her sleeve. Slowly she closed the book, leaving the picture inside, hoping that somehow that one act would erase what had happened. But it didn't.

Piper pushed the book away from her, sliding it across the pew. The tears were still coming and she closed her eyes, trying to breathe. She could hear the kids up in the front, still singing their carols. And now they had started singing her favorite one, the carol her mother had taught her.

Piper's heartbeat quickened as she listened to it. She actually hadn't thought about her mom's death in awhile, not since that day up at the lake when they had vanquished the demon that killed her. Piper sucked in her breath, remembering how hard that had been, how much she had hated that stupid demon and how much she had wanted to kill it. At least she had gotten her wish. The demon was gone. But that wasn't going to bring her mom back.

Piper opened her eyes, then reached over and grabbed the book again. She opened it and stared at the picture once more, running her fingers over its glossy surface. Then she let the cover fall closed and reached down, pushing the book under her seat. After a moment she straightened, trying to decide what to do next. More than anything else she wanted to go home. But Prue and Phoebe would ask where she'd been. And she wasn't ready with a good story just yet. So instead Piper lay down on the pew for a few more minutes and listened to the rest of her Christmas carol.


	5. Chapter 4

It was June. Prue exhaled in exasperation, trying to get her windshield wipers to turn on. After a moment they slowly scraped across the glass, then picked up speed until they had finally pushed all the water out of her view. It was June and it was raining. Like I don't have enough problems, she thought. Someday, somehow, I'm going to get through a week without some crazy emergency. But this certainly wasn't going to be that week.

"Oh come on," Prue muttered under her breath. She pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, but already she could see the red light a block ahead of her. With a sigh she slowed to a halt, resting her elbow against the car door. She focused her eyes on the windshield wipers, watching them go back and forth, anything to keep away the panic that was quickly settling over her.

Her foot hit the accelerator as soon as the light turned green. The car lurched forward and her wheels gave a squeal of protest, but she didn't really care. Prue bit her lip, then reached over to grab her cell phone, trying to keep her eyes on the road. She pushed a button and listened to her voice mail again. The message from Phoebe had been brief. She'd mentioned some sort of emergency. But that was all Prue could get from the jumble of words. Phoebe hadn't said much else. And that scared her more than anything.

Prue wished she could write off Phoebe's message as unimportant. Years ago she wouldn't have worried. She would have assumed it to mean that Phoebe needed money or a ride somewhere. But ever since they had discovered that they were witches things had changed. The Book of Shadows, full of its magical spells and potion recipes, had turned out to be a lot more than a conversation piece. It had given them their powers back.

Prue rubbed her forehead as a wave of frustration washed over her. All of the sisters had been born with powers, but those same powers had been taken away when they were still children. Nearly twenty years had passed before Phoebe found them once more, and sometimes Prue wondered what might have happened if they'd been granted them sooner. Maybe she wouldn't be as frightened as she was now. Maybe she'd be used to it. Prue pushed that thought out of her head as fast as it'd come. No, she'd never be used to it.

Prue leaned forward in her seat, trying to get a better look through her rain streaked windshield. Finally she spotted the elementary school that Phoebe had mentioned. She spun the wheel to the right and skidded to a halt in the parking lot. Prue glanced around as she undid her seatbelt. There were only a few cars in the lot, including Piper's jeep. But everything was quiet. If something had happened, it certainly hadn't attracted attention.

"Okay then," Prue said slowly. She'd expected mayhem, maybe a police car or two. I guess I should be happy, she thought. At least they weren't going to make the ten-o-clock news with a string of grisly murders courtesy of the demon population.

Grabbing her umbrella from the backseat, Prue threw her door open, shivering as a cold blast of air blew through her sweater. Her umbrella was inside out before she could even open it fully and Prue brushed the wind-whipped hair from her eyes. Then she took off across the parking lot, leaping over puddles along the way. She tossed the umbrella into a trashcan, and then darted over to the largest building in sight. It had to be the gym that Phoebe had mentioned. Wrapping her fingers around the door handle, Prue gave it a vicious tug. The heavy door opened, its hinges squealing. Cautiously, she stuck her head inside only to be met with total darkness.

Great, she thought, taking a few steps inside. Big deserted buildings, darkness... it had all the makings of a Halliwell special.

Prue glanced around, letting her eyes adjust. There were a few dirty windows up near the ceilings. The panes were covered in sticky cobwebs and the daylight that had managed to seep through couldn't quite reach the gym's farthest corners. The wind howled over the high roof and the door rattled as another gust hit it. Yep, Prue thought, eerie surroundings. This is definitely bad.

"Phoebe?"

Prue winced as her wet shoes squeaked across the floor. She took a few more steps, glancing around.

"Phoebe, where are you?" Her voice echoed through the building and all she wanted to do was turn and run back to her car. Instead she stood there, holding her breath and waiting for an answer. "Phoebe?"

"Prue!"

Phoebe's voice made her jump, but as Prue's heart rate finally slowed, she breathed a sigh of relief. Whirling around, she peered through the darkness towards the far end of the basketball court. Suddenly the lights came back on.

"Power must be flickering because of the storm," Phoebe said, her voice competing against the ever present thunder. "So what do you think?"

Prue looked around the now illuminated gym. At the other end of the room sat a large stage that she hadn't noticed before. On either side of it, a few makeshift dressing rooms had been crafted using wooden frames and sheets. Prue was at a loss for words. She crossed her arms, taking it all in.

"What should I be thinking?"

"You should be thinking, and maybe even saying, 'Wow, what a great job Phoebe's doing. This place looks fantastic.'" Phoebe suddenly emerged from behind the bleachers, a clipboard in hand. She hurried over to Prue, a grin spreading across her face.

"Actually what I was thinking is, 'Where exactly is the emergency that I came rushing over here for?'"

Prue frowned at her younger sister's unbridled enthusiasm. She was getting the sinking suspicion that her earlier panic had been completely unwarranted. And the fact that Phoebe immediately looked guilty made it all the more obvious.

"Did I say emergency?" Phoebe bit her lip as she finished her trek across the basketball court. She stood before Prue, tapping her pencil lightly against the clipboard. It was a sure sign that Phoebe had done something wrong.

"Well I didn't come over here to catch your act." Prue attempted to smile. But she was getting a little annoyed. She waited for her sister to say something, to give an explanation, but Phoebe had switched over to silent mode. Prue could feel her fingers balling into fists. "Tell me there's an emergency."

"All right, well maybe I overstated that just a little."

"I left my photo shoot," Prue tried not to let the anger creep into her voice. "My very important photo shoot, for your overstatement?"

"Okay, so I owe you one." Phoebe hugged her clipboard as Prue glared at her. "Okay so maybe I owe you four or five now."

"Phoebe..."

"Are you sure I said emergency? 'Cause I think I meant favor. No- I know I meant favor."

Prue exhaled quickly, trying to calm her frazzled nerves. Just as she did she heard a noise coming from the stage. Prue turned, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a short, dirty scarecrow with a bad make-up job. And he was beckoning to Phoebe. There was obviously a child under the huge pair of overalls, but Prue certainly didn't recognize him.

"Are you coming, or what?" the little boy asked.

"Yeah, just give me a second here!" Phoebe called back to him. Prue's eyes traveled from the boy to her sister. She opened her mouth and was about to ask a question, when she stopped herself. It just wasn't worth it.

"Not even gonna go there," she said finally.

"Look, Prue I'm sorry about your photo-thingy," Phoebe said. "If I'd known about it I wouldn't have called."

Prue nodded, giving Phoebe a tight, unhappy smile.

"Okay, well I'm soaking wet and I just missed the rest of that photo thingy." She could hear her voice getting louder, but she didn't even care. "So you don't just owe me five favors. You also owe me an umbrella, because mine is out in the garbage can with the rest of my career!"

Phoebe jumped a little as Prue's last words reverberated off the walls of the gym. Prue watched her youngest sister for a moment, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She knew Phoebe didn't deserve the brunt of her frustrations.

"All right, I'm sorry." Prue opened her eyes and unzipped her jacket, shaking the water off of her clothing. Then finally she got up the nerve to look back at Phoebe. "It's just been a really bad day. And you know, when you said emergency I just thought..." she trailed off.

Phoebe waited for a moment, and Prue realized she was trying to survey the situation. Prue knew that her moods changed frequently and Phoebe more than anyone had learned when to duck and cover. She's probably wondering if now would be a good time, Prue thought, feeling a little bit guilty.

"Okay." She put one arm around Phoebe and pivoted her back towards the stage. "So tell me all about this favor you need. I'd rather be here with you anyway."

Phoebe hesitated, but her smile reappeared a few seconds later. She grabbed her sister's hand and started towards one of the dressing rooms.

"So what are we talking about here?" Prue asked. "Do you need make-up tips for scarecrow boy over there?" She stopped. "You know I don't sew costumes right? 'Cause sewing is Piper's department."

"Actually, Piper's the problem," Phoebe said quickly.

"Why, what's wrong with Piper?' Prue looked around again, trying to understand what Phoebe was getting at. Piper was nowhere in sight. The only people around were less than five feet tall. And all were in various costumes. "Did I miss something in your message? I don't remember you going all Spielberg on me."

"Spielberg's film, not theater."

"And exactly what kind of theater are you running here?" Prue shifted her gaze back to her sister. "Child actors are great and all, but there's that whole babysitting thing you get into."

"It's a children's play," Phoebe rolled her eyes. "So I kind of need children."

"How did you get roped into this one?" Prue asked, trying to remember if Phoebe had mentioned it. She had to have known about her sister's latest endeavor, if only for the entertainment value. Phoebe and kids made for an interesting combo.

"Nice to see you were listening last week," she said. "I told you at the club, that day when Piper was sick."

Phoebe was waiting expectantly for Prue's memory to kick into gear. Prue felt a little foolish as Phoebe scowled, dropping her clipboard under her arm.

"My children's psych class? I'm supposed to observe them-"

"Doing what exactly?"

"Well, after I finished my psych project I sort of volunteered to help with this." Phoebe sighed as they stopped in the middle of the gym. Prue could see the surprised look on her face, as if she couldn't quite figure out how she'd gotten there. "But now the teacher's sick, and so is Kelly who was supposed to play the wicked-"

"Phoebe!" a voice suddenly shouted.

"-witch," Phoebe finished.

Prue barely even heard her. She pushed past Phoebe and rushed over to one of the dressing rooms, her sister following close behind. Prue slid to a halt, nearly running into the sheet that served as the dressing room's door. She reached out to pull it back, then gasped as the person inside did it for her. Prue's mouth dropped open. Standing in front of her was Piper, dressed all in black. A pointy hat sat on her head, slightly askew, and she held a broomstick in one hand. And she looked very, very unhappy as she tied back the sheet.

Prue bit her lip, resisting the urge to laugh at her sister. It was perfect. The expression on Piper's face was so priceless. And the costume, well it was rather ironic for obvious reasons. Prue clapped her hands together, then turned to Phoebe, trying to ignore Piper's icy stare.

"Okay, what, exactly, is going on here?" Prue's voice shook as she tried to suppress a giggle. Phoebe chose not to answer and instead smiled at Piper.

"You look great!" She stepped closer to Prue, nudging her a little. She was clearly searching for back up. "Doesn't she look great?"

"Well, she looks...like a witch."

Phoebe rested her chin on Prue's shoulder, careful to make sure that no one else was nearby. "Well, yes, Piper is a witch," she whispered, still smiling. "So I think we're safe there."

Prue eyed Piper, who had shifted her glare over to the oblivious Phoebe. "I'm not so sure you're safe from her."

"She'll be fine. It's just a minor role."

Piper stiffened as Phoebe pushed past her, ducking into the dressing room. Piper looked like she wanted to say something, but she was too angry for words. Instead she eyed Phoebe, marveling at her little sister's nerve.

"Nice outfit," Prue teased, grabbing for the broom. Piper pulled it away, then shoved Prue lightly, watching as she stumbled inside. Prue quickly squeezed in behind the dressing table, smiling at the vicious looks Piper was shooting her way. At least that's not me, Prue thought. But Piper was always the first to get called upon for anything and everything. She was usually so eager to please. But now she seemed eager to kill someone, preferably her younger sister.

Phoebe set her clipboard down on a nearby chair then grabbed for a makeup pencil. Prue thought about warning the girl as she advanced towards Piper. But she was somewhat curious to see how their usually good-natured sister would react to Phoebe's makeup assault.

"All you need is one little wart right-"

"Touch me and I'll be using this thing for more than just flying!" Piper held up the broom high in the air, her eyebrows narrowing as she scowled at her sister. In her hurry to get away, Phoebe tripped over the chair. Prue quickly reached out and caught her, then pulled her back away from Piper.

"She speaks," Prue said.

"And she doesn't speak nicely."

"I said small favor, Phoebe!" Piper took a few short steps towards her youngest sister as Phoebe inched away. "Small favors don't involve brooms and pointy hats."

"All right, costume problems later." Prue said, hastily moving between the two. "Explanations now." She glanced over at Phoebe, and then gestured at Piper, taking special note of her interesting outfit. "Why is she dressed like this?"

"Phoebe called me," Piper muttered, pushing her hat up as it slipped down her forehead. "She said it was an emergency."

"Now where have I heard that before?"

"Our first dress rehearsal is today," Phoebe explained. "I needed a witch, and it's not like I didn't have plenty around."

"Yes, but why me?" Piper pointed towards Prue. "Why not her?"

"You're smaller."

"And available," Prue added abruptly. Now it was her turn to glare at Phoebe. Her youngest sister picked up her clipboard again and was suddenly very preoccupied with whatever she'd written. Piper pushed it out of Phoebe's line of sight with one hand, forcing Phoebe to look at her.

"Why do I need to be small?"

"For the harness," Phoebe said quickly, wincing as she anticipated her sister's response. "You know, broomstick, hat... flying."

"Flying?" Piper's voice rose a few decibels and she nearly swatted Phoebe with the broom.

"You know, Pheebs. I don't think we should be flaunting our witchiness," Prue said as she finally got a hold of the weapon. Prying the broom out of Piper's fingertips, she leaned it safely in the corner, far, far away from her bitter sister.

"But we're not wicked witches," Phoebe protested.

"Not yet," Piper muttered. Prue shot her a look and she collapsed into the chair, looking very much like a pouting child. "Hey, you're not the one who's supposed to melt in act three."

"Speaking of which..." Phoebe looked over at Prue. "Did I mention I needed a Dorothy?"

"No." Prue's eyes widened as she realized that she was about to join Piper in the world's biggest sucker category. That's the last time I listen to Phoebe's messages, she thought. Prue took a few steps away from her, moving behind Piper.

"Just as a stand in," Phoebe followed her slowly, chasing her around Piper's chair. Prue moved away again, careful to stay out of her reach.

"No way."

"Come on Prue," Phoebe pleaded.

Piper watched them go around and around her, looking rather pleased that the attention had finally shifted away from her and onto the eldest Halliwell. Prue knew Phoebe would persist until she got what she wanted, but she wasn't about to give in, not that fast anyway. She darted around her sister once again, and finally Piper reached out and grabbed them both, forcing them to a halt.

"Okay, dizzy now."

"Call it a favor to your youngest sister." Phoebe grabbed Prue's hand, then did her best impression of a sad puppy dog. Prue watched her for a moment, then sighed. It was already over. She'd hardly even put up a fight. Phoebe's face broke into a grin and she grabbed a pair of ruby slippers off of Piper's make-up table.

"I owe you one," Phoebe said as she handed them over to Prue. Then she took her clipboard and hurried through the open doorway.

"I'm counting!" Prue called after her. Phoebe stopped in the middle of the gym and looked back at them.

"Oh and Piper, watch out for the Tin Man." She pointed towards the stage with her pencil. "He's the younger one over there. He's sort of afraid of the Wicked Witch."

"Fine," Piper sighed. "I'll be nice."

"No, it's just that he bites." Piper's eyes widened and she stood up again. Phoebe smiled and hugged her clipboard to her chest. "Gotta go. Kids to round up, scenes to practice." She pointed at Prue. "Dorothy, I'll need you in five."

As Prue watched her go, she couldn't help feeling as though she'd been had. Phoebe's master plan had been perfect and after a few words and a sad face she had her sisters right where she wanted them. It had all been a whirlwind and now that she'd left, Piper and Prue were still standing there, suddenly doing something they'd never wanted to do.

Finally Piper turned and gazed into the full-length mirror. Phoebe had made the mistake of leaving it in the room, propped up against the make-up table. And now Piper could see the true horrors of her costume. She fingered the fabric a moment, then made a face in disgust. Prue couldn't really blame her. At least as Dorothy she'd escape the ugly black sheet Phoebe had draped over their sister.

"Sometimes I wish I could freeze her, just to keep her from talking me into these things." Piper glanced over at Prue. "How does she do this to us, every single time..."

"Well let's just say that seeing the future isn't her only power."

"Yeah, well I like that one better." Piper looked back at her reflection, then adjusted her hat a little. "Oh, if Grams could see me now. I bet she never thought one of her grand-daughters would take up this look."

"Well, that hat isn't bad."

Prue smiled and pulled down the brim, laughing as the hat fell over her eyes. Piper shoved Prue away, then took the hat off and set it back on the table. As she reached up to fix her hair, she turned on Prue, trying on the pouty face that Phoebe was so good at.

"Trade me parts," she pleaded.

"That's funny."

"Come on. I look better in braided pigtails."

"Yeah, about as good as you look in that outfit." Prue couldn't help but kid Piper about it. It was simply too easy.

"Funny." Piper gave her a tight smile. "Real funny." She turned away, crossing her arms. But after a moment she cast a sideways glance in Prue's direction. Then suddenly she reached for the ruby slippers. "Gimme!"


	6. Chapter 5

"Ouch!" Danny Holden's eyes widened as Phoebe jabbed him with a pin. She grimaced, trying to adjust it so that the sharp point was no longer poking him. Danny looked back over his shoulder, watching her progress with wary eyes. Phoebe chose to ignore him as she checked out her handiwork. She really wasn't doing so badly. Finally, she grabbed the last of the pins from between her teeth and used it to secure his tail to the back of his shirt.

"What's Piper doing?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes upward and saw that Danny's focus had shifted. He was now gazing intently at the long line of dressing rooms, a confused expression on his face. Phoebe stood, steadying herself against the edge of the stage as she stretched her tired legs. She'd kneeled more in the last two days than she had in the last two months put together. But that was the drawback of working with kids, that and their intense curiosity.

"Who's that other girl?"

"That's Prue, my older sister," Phoebe said, trying to get Danny to turn back around. He was still missing some vital elements of his costume. But he no longer seemed to care as he watched her sisters.

"Should they be doing that?"

"Doing what?" Phoebe turned and finally saw what he'd been staring at. Prue was chasing Piper around the dressing rooms, grabbing for the ruby slippers. Piper laughed as Prue almost caught up with her, and then dashed into the next room, pulling the sheet down behind her. _Great,_ Phoebe thought _two more kids to take care of._

"It's a sister thing," Phoebe said quickly. "They're just that excited to be here."

"Piper didn't seem too excited earlier."

"Well, she certainly looks excited now." Phoebe smiled as Piper came running out of the room with Prue hot on her heels. "She was just having a bad morning before. She's actually pretty cool."

"Yeah," Danny said, his eyes still glued to the two older girls. "She seemed nice earlier."

"She has that way about her." Phoebe nodded. "She just needs a chance to get into her character."

"She seems to be doing a pretty good job of it, yelling at everyone," the scarecrow said from the stage. "A witch playing a witch."

"What?" Phoebe's head shot up, before she realized what he was getting at. She felt a wave of relief wash over her, but then she narrowed her eyes. As her relief gave way to defensiveness, she glared at the boy. "All right, let's not forget who you're talking about there. And you can keep your comments to yourself thank you."

"Yeah, shut up Jason!" Danny jumped in. Phoebe was actually a little impressed. Jason was the biggest kid in the class and few of his peers would ever speak up against him.

"Aw, Danny has a crush on her." Jason pursed his lips together, kissing the air. "You should have seen him earlier, Phoebe. He's been watching her all afternoon."

"I said shut up!" Danny gritted his teeth, his hands balling up at his sides.

"Too bad she's too old for him!" Jason backed away as Danny started to leap onto the stage. Phoebe latched onto his shirt with one hand, pulling him back to the floor. She couldn't blame Danny for defending Piper, but she also couldn't let him get pummeled by Jason.

"Whoa, hold on there guys." Phoebe said. "She's taken." Phoebe tried not to smile when she saw the look of disappointment on Danny's face. She bent over a little so that they were at eye level. "But I bet Piper would be flattered," she whispered. Danny's eyes widened in horror.

"You're not going to tell her, are you?"

"Don't worry," she said. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Yeah, and it'll be extra safe with me!" Jason yelled from the stage. This time Phoebe was unable to stop Danny from going after him. The two disappeared behind the curtain. Phoebe just sighed and shook her head.

"Why do they all go for Piper?"

It was true. Her sister was a magnet when it came to men. She'd fallen for that ghost guy two years earlier, just after they'd gotten their powers. Then of course there had been Leo, their whitelighter. He was supposed to protect all of them, but he had a special affinity for Piper. When that hadn't worked out, there had been the grad student Josh, then Dan, their friendly next door neighbor. And now she was back to Leo again. Phoebe was beginning to wonder if she would ever get a shot at any of the cute guys, or if they would all pursue Piper instead. Of course in this case, she'd rather Danny go after her sister. Phoebe liked young guys, but not that young.

Phoebe couldn't help but laugh as Jason came running back through the curtain. Danny was a good ten feet behind him when Jason let out a yell. Phoebe's eyes widened as the boy tripped, then flew across the floor. He slid to a halt next to the forest of plywood trees, groaning as he rolled over onto his back. Jumping onto the stage, Phoebe ran over to check on him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he mumbled as she helped him to his feet. "I'm fine." He rubbed his shin where a dark bruise was forming.

"What happened?"

"I tripped on something." He glanced around the stage as he stepped gingerly back towards the wings.

"Yeah, well maybe it's a sign telling you to slow down." Phoebe said as she helped him over to a chair. She knelt down to get a better look at his leg. The bruise was an odd shape and as she touched it gently, he winced. "Sorry." She glanced up at him. "Something got you good." She turned to look back at the stage. It was clear. "I just wish I knew what it was," she mumbled under her breath.

"What?"

Phoebe shook her head and let it go.

T:T:T

Danny peeked out from behind the curtain, watching Phoebe's conversation with Jason. Oh, how he hated that kid. Jason had always made fun of him. He'd been the one to take Danny's lunch money when they had been younger. And Jason had certainly embarrassed him more than a few times. But today had been the worst. What he'd said about Piper... Danny's temperature rose at the thought. And now Phoebe knew. Actually anyone who had ears knew. He only hoped Piper hadn't heard.

Danny let the curtain slide out of his hands as he turned towards the backstage. The sight of Jason sliding across the floor played through his mind again and again. Danny couldn't help but smile at the image. That would teach Jason to humiliate him.

Picking up his backpack from under a table, Danny made his way down the back stairs. Then he circled around to the dressing rooms that sat near to the main stage. Once inside he pulled the sheets all around so that no one could see in. When he was sure he was alone, he opened his backpack and pulled out a book, running his fingers over the red embossed cover. He smiled then flipped to one of the pages he'd marked.

"Felling Your Foe..." he read the title of the spell quietly to himself. Taking out his pen, he slowly wrote a single word on the post-it he'd stuck on the page: Perfect.

"Danny?" The boy jumped as one of the sheets was pulled back. Relief swept over him though, when he recognized the man who'd stuck his head in. It was only his Uncle. The man glanced down at the book, a puzzled expression on his face. "What's that you're reading there?"

"Nothing, just some school stuff." Danny hastily slipped the book back into his bag. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to check on our little construction project," he said. "When we built the dressing rooms, I wasn't picturing so many kids running around."

"I think they'll be okay," Danny said. "Jason knocked one down already, but Phoebe got it back up."

"So you guys just about done here?"

"Not even close." Danny stood and shouldered his backpack. "Phoebe had to replace Dorothy and the wicked witch with her sisters." He glanced over at Piper, who had made her way over to the stage. "I think we might be here awhile."

"You don't sound too disappointed."

"It's fun." He shrugged, trying not to smile as he thought about Jason. "Phoebe said I could switch to the lion part, but I kind of like being the head monkey."

"All right then, I'll let you get back to your play." His uncle patted him on the back, and then grinned. "Just don't let that witch get you."

Danny smiled a little, and then nodded. "I'll call you when we're done."

T:T:T

"Phoebe, are you sure about this?" Prue peaked out from behind the dressing room sheet as her sister passed by. Phoebe could only see her head and the expression on her face. Prue did not look pleased. "I mean do I really have to dress up? 'Cause I think I could be a pretty convincing Dorothy without the blue and white outfit."

"They call it a dress rehearsal for a reason," Phoebe reminded her.

"Yes and everyone else looks great. Okay, well maybe not Piper, but-"

"Well, you don't see her complaining-" Phoebe stopped as she saw the pointed look Prue shot her way. Okay, that hadn't really been the best example. Piper was her most disgruntled cast member to date. "All right, but she had good reason," Phoebe added. "All you have to do is put on a dress, get on that stage, and let the munchkins sing to you."

"They're going to sing to me?" Prue asked, obviously horrified at the thought. "Phoebe, I really do love you, but this might be pushing it."

"You know, the ten and eleven year olds have a better attitude than you and Piper."

"Well, the ten and eleven year olds have costumes that fit!"

Prue disappeared back behind the curtain and Phoebe shook her head. This whole thing was working up to be one big disaster. Perhaps throwing her sisters into the mix hadn't been the best idea.

"Phoebe!" the tin man suddenly yelled out. Phoebe whirled around just in time to see the poor child flailing, his costume caught on the edge of the large wooden rainbow.

"Oh no," she muttered as he struggled to detach himself from the support beam. Danny's uncle, who had also set-up the stage, had warned them to be careful of the rainbow. Now as she watched it lean, she knew why. "Whoa, Vincent, hold on a sec there!"

"Phoebe!" The child squirmed some more.

"Wait Vincent, stop-" Phoebe saw the rainbow sway again, then it abruptly pitched forward. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the crashing sound. But it never came. She opened her eyes slowly, squinting up at the stage. The rainbow was still in the air. Okay, disaster averted, Phoebe thought, sighing with relief.

Piper was standing in front of her, a cocky smile on her face. Everything and everyone else was frozen, including the falling rainbow. Phoebe grinned and put a thankful arm around Piper. "That, my dear sister, is a great little power you have there."

T:T:T

Faith Evans peered through the tiny window on the gym door. She knew she could get into the gym, having long since mastered the art of slipping through doors. But for now she just watched and waited. She couldn't do anything right then anyway. Her timing had to be perfect. Otherwise she would never be able to follow through with her plan.

Inside the gym she saw Phoebe and Piper struggling to secure the rainbow, before returning to their previous positions. A moment later, Piper waved her hands and suddenly the world came back into motion. Those witches were powerful, she knew. They were the ones she'd been searching for. They were the reason she'd come back.

"There you are..." Faith said slowly, her eyes glued to the sisters. "I knew I would find you."


End file.
